Today Was A Fairytale
by once-a-glee-lover
Summary: A collection of AU Charming Family one-shots, centered only in the Enchanted Forest. I take requests, so if you have one please either PM me or leave a review :)


Today Was A Fairytale

Hey Everyone! So with the news of Jen Morrison, Josh Dallas and Ginnifer Goodwin leaving Once, I started thinking about all the Charming family moments we got and those we will never get to see. I've spent a lot of time reading various one-shot series and decided to create my own. The difference with mine is that mine will all be AU, and they will all take place in the Enchanted Forest as if Emma had been raised by Snow and Charming. I will definitely be taking requests for this one, so if there's something you would like to see, please let me know!

The first one-shot is one of my own.

1\. Meeting Grandma

Charming smiled over at his 8 year old daughter chattering away while she was riding her horse. It didn't matter what they were doing, Emma never stopped to take a breath, much like her mother. The little girl could go on for days about the most mundane of subjects, yet with her enthusiasm and exuberance, she made it seem like the most important thing in the world. Charming was perfectly content just to listen to the sound of her sweet voice.

"I told Mama that Lucy was worried over the snow that's coming, but Mama said she would be fine." Emma said in a huff. Lucy was a bird who Emma liked to communicate with, having inherited her mother's penchant for communicating with animals. Emma was constantly trying to convince both he and Snow that Lucy needed to live in the castle. Her latest excuse was that Lucy couldn't handle the cold, something disproven by the fact that Lucy had survived cold temperatures before.

"Pumpkin, I've said it before and I'll say it again, as much as we know you love Lucy, she just would not be happy living in the castle. She needs to be free." Charming reminded her of the multiple conversations they had had on this very subject.

"But..." Emma tried.

"Enough Em, please." He pleaded. As much as he loved his daughter, she was the most stubborn person he had ever known.

Emma sighed but decided she better obey. "Daddy, how much farther?" She asked as she wiggled her bum on her horse, starting to feel uncomfortable from the long ride. Normally if they went on trips like this, they would take the carriage, but since it was just the two of them going, they opted to ride instead. Snow had stayed back at the castle to plan for the next big ball, glad to have some peace and quiet for a change.

"You see that hill up there?" Charming pointed in front of them. Emma nodded. "Just over it is where I grew up."

Emma's eyes widened in fascination. She had never seen where her Daddy used to live when he was a shepherd before he became a prince, but she had heard all the stories and couldn't wait to see it.

Minutes later, they tied their horses to a tree as Charming grabbed his young daughter's hand. He lead her down the big hill and through the pasture that he used to work and call home. The place hadn't changed much since he left, though that was largely due to the fact that they paid people to look after the place. The small cottage still stood just as it had before, although the thatched roof had been repaired and the fencing surrounding the property looked new.

"This is it?" Emma asked as she looked around in delight. She could picture her Daddy here as a young boy running around the fields with his dog and chasing all the sheep. She was kind of envious. She liked growing up in the castle, but it would be nice to have more freedom sometimes.

"This is it, Em." Charming smiled at her. "That was my home. Its where I was born and lived until King George forced me to leave." Emma knew all about the story of George and what he had done to her parents.

"It's pretty." Emma said honestly. She liked the simplicity and tranquility of it. She was constantly surrounded by people, never having a quiet moment. "Have you and Mama ever come here?"

"We used to before you were born. It used to be the place we used to get away from everything, if only for a few days."

"How come we've never been here before?" Emma asked.

Charming wasn't really sure how to answer that. He didn't really know why exactly. "I guess because its still hard for me sometimes."

"Because of Grandma Ruth? Because she died?" Emma asked with all the innocence of a child.

He nodded.

"Daddy, could you show me where she is buried?" Emma asked.

"Are you sure?" Charming questioned.

Emma nodded. "I want to meet Grandma."

Charming couldn't help the tear that fell from his eye as he looked in admiration at his beautiful daughter. She had the biggest heart of anyone he'd known, besides her mother. He carefully took her hand and led her to a wooded area on top of the hill with a small clearing, surrounded by beautiful flowers. In the center was a plaque that showed Ruth's name and read Loving Mother.

"Daddy, you should say something." Emma encouraged.

Charming gave her a shaky smile as he knelt on his knees next to the grave and bowed his head for a moment.

"Hi Mama." He began, not sure what to say. "I'm sorry I havent been around a lot, I know you understand why." He hesitated, memories hitting him like a ton of bricks. "I brought someone with me who I'd really like you to meet considering you are the reason she's even here."

He turned towards Emma and motioned for her to join him. "Mama, i'd like to introduce you to the most precious person in my life next to her mother, your namesake Emma Ruth."

Emma smiled shyly at the grave. She had always wanted to meet either of her Grandmothers, knowing it would never actually happen. "Hi Grandma." She said in a voice so quiet that Charming had to bend to listen to her words. "Daddy says I remind him a lot of you. He says that I'm brave and that I worry too much about things I shouldn't like you and that I get my love of animals from you."

Charming smiled at her, encouraging her to go on.

"I'm really sorry that I never got to meet you, but I know all about you. Mama says that you're my guardian angel. I know my Daddy misses you a lot but I'm taking care of him, I promise." Emma assured. She picked up a wildflower that she had found and placed it on the grave before turning and giving her Dad a huge hug.

Charming picked the little girl up in his arms, looking up at the sky and thanking the Gods for this little miracle in his life.

"I love you Mama." He whispered as he carried Emma back to their horses, so grateful to have her knowing how close they had come to that never being the case.


End file.
